One of the guns used in the November 13, 2015 Paris terrorist attacks, as reported by Judicial Watch on June 28, 2016, came from a gun store in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area. This is an area where senior law enforcement leaders of the Obama administration permitted and facilitated known criminals to buy thousands of weapons in an illegal “gun-walking” operation known as “Fast and Furious.” That operation, in part, resulted in the murder of former Marine and Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry as well as hundreds of others.
An excerpt from the June 28 Judicial Watch article suggests a continued opaqueness surrounding both Operation Fast and Furious and any ongoing investigation:
{mosads}“A Report of Investigation (ROI) filed by a case agent in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) tracked the gun used in the Paris attacks to a Phoenix gun owner who sold it illegally, ‘off book,’ Judicial Watch’s law enforcement sources confirm…
The investigative follow up of the Paris weapon consisted of tracking a paper trail using a 4473 form, which documents a gun’s ownership history by, among other things, using serial numbers. The Phoenix gun owner that the weapon was traced back to was found to have at least two federal firearms violations — for selling one weapon illegally and possessing an unregistered automatic — but no enforcement or prosecutorial action was taken against the individual.
Instead, ATF leaders went out of their way to keep the information under the radar and ensure that the gun owner’s identity was ‘kept quiet,’ according to law enforcement sources involved with the case. ‘Agents were told, in the process of taking the fully auto, not to anger the seller to prevent him from going public,’ a veteran law enforcement official told Judicial Watch.”
We’re hopeful the terrorist attack in Nice, France on Bastille Day, July 14, 2016, won’t have weapons associated that are also potentially linked to Operation Fast and Furious.
It has now been five and one half years since Brian Terry’s death, and still the family seeks closure and answers from the Government to what would seem to be simple questions the family has shared with us and others.
In coordination with the Terry family, Laughing Wolf Productions, LLC has recently started pre-production of Ambush at Peck Canyon, a film being executively produced by Robert “Tosh” Plumlee and directed by Michael Saquella. The film will provide both additional information not yet made public and attempts to answer the family’s questions:
- Was Brian Terry wearing his bullet-proof vest or not? This is relevant in determining the type of round that killed Brian. There is conflicting testimony and facts surrounding this important question.
- Why doesn’t the Government provide Brian Terry’s vest for the family to examine? The family has repeatedly requested this critical piece of evidence.
- Why was Brian Terry placed in a Border Patrol vehicle for transport to a local fire department instead of calling in a MEDEVAC helicopter, as would normally be the case with such a grave wound? Again, the family simply would like an answer.
- Was Brian Terry shot with a 9mm round or with a 7.62mm (AK-47) round? If it were a 9mm round, from what weapon was it discharged? Again, there is conflicting information, and the family is still requesting clarification.
- Why hasn’t the family been provided data from the ground movement sensors collected the night of December 14, 2010? This data would confirm the alleged foot traffic of the illegals who Brian was sent out to interdict and who allegedly killed him.
- Why did it take the Government over four and one half years to return the personal cell phone of Brian Terry? When the family queried the FBI Tucson office, they were told it was “overlooked” in Brian Terry’s vest (the same vest the family is asking to examine).
- What legal justification was used by the Government to search and ransack Brian Terry’s residence after his murder, removing all electronic devices? The family was told Brian’s residence was not a crime scene.
- Why wasn’t the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee provided the three emails Agent Brian Terry wrote to the National Border Patrol Council, the union which represents Border Patrol agents? The family was told this would happen years ago, yet Kent Terry received a call several months ago from Rep. Jason Chaffetz stating the Committee never received nor knew of the subject emails.
- Was Operation Fast and Furious part of a larger, international weapons sales program?
- Have both the House Oversight and Government Reform and Senate Judiciary Committees requested and/or subpoenaed the above? If not, why not?
These probative questions from the family seem relatively straight forward yet, over five years on now, no definitive answers have been provided nor seem forthcoming. Perhaps this will change if candidate Donald J. Trump becomes President Donald J. Trump.
After privately meeting with Kent Terry and his sister, Michelle Terry-Balogh, following his primary victory in Michigan, Mr. Trump — who was surprisingly well versed on the Terry matter — promised to take action, assuring the Terry family answers and closure.
McKenna is the author of Sheer Madness: From Federal Prosecutor to Federal Prisoner. He is a Market Director for Addiction Campuses. Smith-Meck is a designated Whistleblower and retired Marine Officer. The thoughts and opinions expressed herein are solely the authors’ and do not necessarily represent the thoughts and opinions of Addiction Campuses.
The views expressed by Contributors are their own and are not the views of The Hill.